TO, HOPEFULLY, ALL LOCAL PRESS, IN THE AREA
COVERED BY THE T RIPPON MID ESSEX CRICKET LEAGUE
Copies circulated to: Dr GMJ Rippon, Mrs LC West, Messrs PJ Rippon,
DJ Porter, C Pardoe, GA Willey, JMA Stock and
B Wignall, S Pinkerton, C Flint
This coming Saturday May the 2nd sees the commencement of another season in the annals of the T Rippon Mid-Essex Cricket League. The league was formed in 1973 and after two seasons consisted of two divisions of 10 teams each. The T Rippon Group were then approached with a view to sponsoring the league, this they agreed to do subject to the league being run on strict lines, particularly with reference to good behaviour and adherence to league rules. Fortunately this has been in the main, adhered to.
In 1975 Peter Rippon was elected president and Leonard Menhinick Vice President. Matters stopped this way until the year 2000 when sadly Peter Rippon passed away. Leonard Menhinick was then elected President, a position which he still holds, and it is pleasing to note that three of the current Rippon Directors, namely Dr Gina Rippon, Peter J Rippon and David Porter are now Vice Presidents.
Initially the league was sponsored under the name of the Rippon Retail Group, TC News. When this was disposed of in 1989 the sponsorship was taken over by the parent company, T Rippon & Sons Limited.
The success of the league is well illustrated by the fact that we now have 12 divisions of 10 teams and one division of 9 teams, thus catering for 129 teams, for 18 Saturdays of the season. Many clubs have several teams in the league, the biggest being Rayleigh with six.
Given good weather there is no reason why the very hardworking bunch of League officials, all completely unpaid volunteers, should not be rewarded with another bumper season. Last year saw Springfield run out worthy winners of the premier division, and they will almost certainly be very keen contenders again this season. Three of their four teams were divisional winners as were a new club, Gorsebrook, (who hail from the Dagenham area).
The title T Rippon Mid-Essex Cricket League is very much a misnomer these days as the league covers a huge area of Essex including North London where it abuts Essex, the Thames Valley, and right out to the East Coast. This is a tribute to the work of the aforementioned league officers.
Leonard Menhinick
President